Sanitary drinking apparatus.



No. 807,468. PATENTBD DEG. I9, 1905. I. S. HUNTER. SANITARY DRINKINGAPPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED DBC.3,1904.

2 SHEBTS-SHEET l.

Willi/11111111147 ggmfzmm Witness@ Inventor b W 9 v I N Atromes No.807,468. PATENTED DEC. 19, 1905.

I. S. HUNTER.

- SANITARY DRINKING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED DB0. 3,1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

IUNTTED STATES PATENT FFTCE.

FREEMAN S. HUNTER, OF BEDFORD, INDIANA.

SANITARY DRINKING APPARATUS.

To @ZZ whom, t may concern;

A Be it known that I, FREEMAN S. HUNTER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Bedford, in the county of Lawrence and State of Indiana,have invented a new and useful Sanitary Drinking Apparatus, of which thefollowing is a specification.

. la. This invention relates to disinfecting apparatus, and whilecapable of general application is particularly designed for disinfectingthe drinking-cups of drinking-fountains. In this connection it isproposed to effect the disinfecting of the cup by placing the same upona holder preparatory to drawing water in the cup from the water-tank ofthe fountain. I prefer a liquid disinfectant and carry the same in asuitable receptacle contained within the fountain entirely independentof the drinking-water.

It is furthermore designed to arrange the cup-holder so as to preventthe support of a cup therein bottom downward, and thereby to compel theplacing of the cup mouth downward in order that the liquid disinfectantmay be applied directly to the mouth or rim of the cup, which is theonly part thereof that requires disinfecting.

Another object of the invention is to effect the supply of disinfectantto the holder only when the latter is occupied by a cup and toautomatically cut off the supply when the cup is removed from theholder, thereby to avoid waste of the disinfectant when not required forapplication to a cup.

Another object of the invention is to carry off the disinfectant fromthe holder after it has been applied to a cup.

With these and other objects in view the present invention consists inthe combination and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter morefully described, shown in the accompanying drawings, and particularlypointed out in the appended claims, it

, being understood that changes in the form,

proportion, size, and minor details may be made within nthe scope of theclaims without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of theadvantages of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional viewof a drinkingfountain equipped with the present disinfecting apparatus.Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is adetail perspective view of a portion of the disinfecting apparatus. Fig.4 is an enlarged Specification of Letters Patent.

Application led December 3, 1904. Serial No. 235,402.

Patented Dec. 19, 1905.

detail sectional elevation of a portion of the mechanism for trippingthe valve of the disinfectant-tank.

Like characters of reference designate corresponding parts in each andevery figure of the drawings.

The drinking-fountain to which the present apparatus is appliedcomprises a hollow base 1, preferably cylindrical in shape, which isopen at its top and closed at its bottom and provided with a flaredperipheral fiange 2 at the bottom thereof to maintain the closed bottomof the base at a suitable distance above the support upon which thedevice rests. Upon the base is the water-tank 3, which is slightlyreduced at its lower end, so as to fit within the open top of the baseand to produce an external annular flange 4 to rest upon the top of thebase, and thereby support the tank. This tank is provided with an innershell 5, which is spaced from the outer shell of the tank and isprovided with a valve-coupling 6, whereby the air may be exhausted frombetween the two shells, thereby to avoid the use of a non-conductingpacking between the shells. A hollow cover 7 is provided for the top ofthe tank, and this cover has a valve-coupling 8, whereby the air may beexhausted from the interior of the cover. A suitable faucet or stop-cock9 pierces the two shells near the bottom of the water-tank, so as to bein cornmunication with the interior thereof. The drinking-water iscontained within the tank 3 and is drawn off through the faucet 9.Instead of having the ice come in direct contact with the drinking-waterit is preferred to employ an ice-receptacle 10, which contains the iceand maintains the same out of contact with the drinking-water, while atthe same time the latter is effectually cooled.

Within the hollow base 1 there is a pan or receptacle 11 supported uponsuitable legs 12 and lmaintained in a rigid condition by means ofspacing-arms 13, carried by the tank and engaging the walls of the base.This pan or receptacle is designed to contain a liquid disinfectant,which is carried off therefrom by an outlet spout 14, which pierces thebottom of the receptacle and passes laterally outward through an opening15 in the front ofthe base below and in substantially vertical alinementwith the faucet 9. The outer end of the outlet-spout 14 is incommunication with a dished cup-sup- ICO IOS

IIO

port 16, having a conical projection 17 rising from the bottom thereofto a suitable distance above the top of the support. Suitable legs 18depend from the bottom of the support and rest within a drip-pan 19,having a laterally-extended spout portion 20, which is projected intothe opening 15 in the base 1 and is secured to the bottom of the latterby suitable fastenings 21. It will here be noted that the bottom 22 ofthe base 1 is dished and at its lowermost point is provided with adischarge-spout 23, to which it is proposed to connect a pipeforcarrying off the disinfectant which has been used upon the drinking-cup.

For controlling the supply of liquid disinfectant to the discharge-spout14 the inner end of the latter is provided with a valve 25, from whichrises a valve-rod 26, pivotally connected at its upper end to anintermediate portion of a vertically-swinging lever 27, which isfulcrumed at 28 upon the inner end of an angle-bracket 30, carried bythe inner side of the disinfectant-pan 11. The lever 27 projects acrossthe rim of the pan 11 and is provided with a pendent rod 31, working insuitable guides 32 and 33, carried by the exterior of the pan 11. Belowthe discharge spout 14 there is a verticallyswinging lever 34, fulcrumedintermediate of its ends, as at 34', upon the bottom of the cup-support16, its outer end being pivotally connected to an upright endwise-movable trip-rod 35, which pierces the top of the conical projection17, the opposite end of the lever being pivotally connected to a slottedlifting-arm 36, which straddles the dischargespout 14 and is providedupon its upper end with a lateral projection 37. This projection 37normally lies below the lower end of the rod 31, and in the upward pathof the projection 37 is an upwardly and outwardly inclined cam or guidemember 38, connected at its lower end to the pan or receptacle 11 and atits upper end to the outer end of the bracket 33. A stop-shoulder 39 iscarried by the cam or inclined guide 38 in the path of the projection 37to limit the upward movement of the lifting-arm 36. A weighted arm 40 iscarried by the lifting-arm 36 and'tends to swing the lifting-arm uponits pivotal connection with the lever 34 toward the pan 11.

Prior to taking a drink the cup 41, which may or may not be connected tothe fountain by a chain, is inverted and placed mouth downward in thecup holder 16, whereby the bottom of the cup engages the upper end ofthe trip-rod 35 and depresses the same, thereby rocking the lever 34,and consequently elevating the lifting-arm 36, the projection 37 ofwhich engages the lower end of the rod 31 -and elevates the latter andopens the valve 25 through the medium of the lever 27 and theconnecting-rod 26. During the upward movement of the lifting-arm 36 theprojection 37 travels against the inclined guide-38, whereby theprojection 37 is eventually shifted past, and thereby tripped from therod 31 whereupon the valve 25 gravitates to its closed position. Theupward movement of the lifting-arm 36 is stopped when the projection 37contacts with the stop-shoulder 39 and remains in its elevated position-so long as the cup 41 remains upon the cup-holder. When the cup isremovedfrom the holder, the excessive weight of the lifting-arm and thewei hted arm 40 will reverse the movement of t e lever 34, therebyelevating the rod 35 and depressing the lifting-arm 36, which ismaintained in frictional engagement with the guide 38 by theweighted arm40. It will now be understood that when the valve 25 is open the liquiddisinfectant passes out be explained that the liquid disinfectant issupplied to the cup-holder only so long as the valve 25 is open, and theopen period of the valve is determined by the length of time it takesthe lifting-arm 36 to ass upwardly and disengage the rod 31, as t evalve automatically gravitates to a closed position as soon as theprojection 37 trips from the rod 31` This is an important feature of thepresent device in that it prevents an excessive supply of theliquiddisinfectant ands prevents overflowing of the cup-holder 16.

It will here be explained that the purpose of the conical projection 17,rising from the bottom of the cup-holder, is to prevent the cup frombeing placed in the holder bottom downward, whereby the cup must ofnecessity be placed mouth downward upon the holder, thereby insuring theeifective disinfecting of the rim or mouth thereof, which renders thepresent drinking-fountain sanitary so far as the drinking-cup isconcerned.

i By locating the disinfectant-pan 11 and the greater portion ofthevalve-actuating IOO means within the hollow base of the drinkv.

Somos receptacle, a rod connecting the lever and the valve, a push-rodhung from the lever, another lever fulcrumed intermediate of its endsbeneath the support, a lifting-arm carried by said lever and adapted toengage the push-rod, and a trip-rod connected to the last-mentionedlever and piercing the bottom of the support into position forengagement by a member being placed upon the support.

2. A disinfecting apparatus comprising a support for the member to bedisinfected, a disinfectant-receptacle, a passage leading from thereceptacle to the support, a valve for the inner end of the passage, abracket extending into the receptacle, a lever fulcrumed upon thebracket and projected eX- ternally of the receptacle, a rod connectingthe lever and the valve, guides upon the eX- 'terior of the receptacle,a push-rod hung from the lever and working in the guides, a second leverfulcrumed intermediate of its ends upon the bottom of the support, alifting-arm carried by said lever and adapted to engage the push-rod,and a trip-rod connected to the second-mentioned lever and rising throuh the bottom of the support.

3. disinfecting apparatus comprising a cup-holder, adisinfectant-receptacle, a passage communicating from the receptacle tothe cup-holder, a normally closed valve for the passage, and meanscontrolled by the placing of a cup upon the cupholder to open the valve,said means including mechanism to permit the closing of the valve aftera predetermined period.

4. A disinfecting apparatus comprising a cup-holder, adisinfectant-receptacle, a passage communicating between the receptacleand the cup-holder, a normally closed valve for the passage, and tripmechanism eXtending from the cup-holder to the valve for opening thelatter when the cup is placed upon the cup-holder, said mechanismincluding means to permit closing of the valve after a predeterminedperiod.

5. A disinfecting apparatus comprising a cup-support, adisinfectant-receptacle, a passage communicating from the receptacle tothe cup-support, a normally closed valve for the passage, a lever, atrip device connected to the lever and lying in the path of'a cup to beplaced 'upon the support, a lifting-arm pivotally connected to thelever, an endwisemovable rod connected to the valve and in the path ofthe lifting-arm, and means to automatically shift the lifting-arm uponits pivotal support during its upward movement to disengage the samefrom the endwisennovable rod and ermit'the closing of the valve.

6. A disi ecting apparatus comprising a cup support, a disinfectant tankhaving a passage communicating with the support, a valve for thepassage, a lever, a trip-rod connected to the lever and disposed in thepath of a cup to be placed upon the support, a lifting-arm pivotallysupported upon the lever, an endwise-movable rod connected to the valveand lying in the path of the lifting-arm, and a cam-guide located in thepath of said arm to shift the same upon its pivotal support anddisengage the lifting-arm from the rod.

7. A disinfecting apparatus comprising a cup-holder, adisinfectant-receptacle, a passage leading from the receptacle to theholder, a normally closed valve at the inner end of the passage, anendwise movable trip rod piercing the bottom of the holder, anintermediately-fulcrumed lever connected to the trip-rod, an upstandinglifting-arm pivotally supported u on the lever, a lever fulcrumed uponthe dis1nfectant-tank, a rod connecting said lever and the valve, atrip-rod depending from the lever with its lower end in the upper pathof the lifting-arm, and anupwardly and outwardly inclined guide carriedby the tank in the path of the upper end of the lifting-arm to shift thelatter upon its pivotal support and disengage the same from the trip-rodto permit gravitation of the valve to its closed position.

8. A disinfecting apparatus comprising a support for the member to bedisinfected, a disinfectant-receptacle, a passage forming a source ofcommunication between the receptacle and the support, a valve fornormally closing the passage, a lever fulcrumed intermediate of its endsbeneath the support, a trip-rod between thelever and the valve foropening the latter, a trip piercing the holder and connected to thelever with its opposite end in the path of a member which is beingplaced upon the support, a weighted lifting arm carried by the lever andadapted to engage the trip-rod, and an inclined guide member secured tothe receptacle and adapted to engage the lifting-arm to thereby permitthe valve to return to closed position.

ln testimony that l claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

FREEMAN S. HUNTER. Witnesses:

J. W. TRAINOR, H. G. WITHERS.

IOO

IIO

